Solar water heater



Sept. 7, 1948.

E. E. ZIDECK SOLAR WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 8, 1944 deal,

Patented Sept. 7, 1948 soLAR WATER HEATER Ernest E. Zideck, Pontiac, Mich, assignor of onehalf to Clinton L. Mich.

Stockstill, Wayne County,

Application September 8, 1944, Serial No. 553,259

2 Claims. (Cl. 257-256) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in water heaters such as are employed in localities where the sun rays can be employed as a heating medium.

The principal object of the present invention? is to provide a solar water heater which will be more practical than those now in general use due to the manner in which the heater elements exposed to the rays of the sun are contained in a multiplicity of individual units which may be [.10

arranged side by side or one above the other and connected individually to water inlet and water outlet pipes; with a view toward offering facilities of installation of as many units as may be required for the heater area in each given in- 3175,

stance.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a solar water heater wherein the heater area exposed to the rays of the sun is composed of individual units in each of which the various heating elements are sturdily secured and wherein the rise of hot water above the cold water through the so provided Water channels cannot be impaired by a sagging roof or through other causes.

Various other important objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with a portion broken away showing a heat exchange unit according to the invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral l9 designates an embossed plate-like member which may be formed as a casting or by a die-stamping process or in any other suitable manner. This member I9, as shown, is formed with thickened upper and lower apertured and internally threaded bosses or burrs 2!], 2|, to receive the threaded ends of outlet and inlet pipes (not shown). The member I9 is formed to provide a vertically extending medial depression or passageway 22, laterally from which horizontally disposed V-shaped channels 23 are formed. These V-shaped channels define tapered islands 24 and tapered peninsulas 25. Spaced from and interposed between opposed peninsulas 25 and within the middle passageway 22 are circular islands 26.

On the outer side of the member I9, contiguously to and concentric with each circular island 26, is formed a cavity which actually opens with very small aperture through the central portion of the island 26 and this is so that in addition to welding the edge portion of a cover plate Zlover the member I9, the plate 21 is thus further reinforcedly tied to the member l9 by Welding material applied through these openings, the cavities being denoted by the reference numeral 28 and the welded spots by the numeral 29.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the lower sides of the lowermost V-shaped channels 23 slope downwardly to the cold water inlet boss or burr 2|. Further, the upper sides of the uppermost V- shaped channels 23 slope upwardly to the hot water outlet boss or burr 20, While the intermediate channels .23 slope alternately downwardly and upwardly into communication with the vertical medial passageway 22. Thus, it can be seen that at all points in the water passageways there is a gradual and continuous rise as the water becomes heated'in the device.

The upper and lower ends of the units shown in Figures 1 and 2 may have longitudinally extending conduit connections in addition to the boss or burrs 20, 2i and if the longitudinally extending connections are employed, then the parts 20, 2| are plugged. It would be advisable to have these two sets of connections because of the possibility that conditions might require the use of one or the other in mounting the apparatus.

Several of the units shown in Figures 1 and 2 may be associated in a parallel or series cooperative association in use.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A solar water heater unit comprising a platelike member having an inner surface provided with a depressed channel formation therein, said channel formation comprising a vertically extending medial passageway extending from end to end of the unit and horizontally disposed V- shaped channels projecting laterally from opposite sides of said medial passageway and extending from end to end of the unit, the channels at intervals throughout the length thereof communicating directly with said medial passageway, tapered islands formed coincidentally within and defining some of the wall portions of said channels with intervening alternate pointed peninsulas definin the opposite wall portions of said channels, said islands and said peninsulas together defining a multiplicity of communicable.

openings between said channels and said medial passageway, circular islands formed within said medial passageway at the communicable openings of the channels with said medial passageway, a complemental plate-like covering member attached to said first-mentioned plate-like member and at intervals throughout the area thereof to said circular islands, water inlet means provided at one end' of the unit communicable with the adjacent ends of the channels and the adjacent communicable end portion of the medial passageway, and water outlet means provided-at; the op,- posite end of the unit and communicable with the adjacent portions of saidchannels and the adjacent end portion of said" medial passageway.

2. A solar water heater unit comprising a platelike member having a verticallyextendingmedial passageway formed on its inner surface and extending from its lower end to its upper end; and

horizontally disposed v-shaped channels projecting laterally from opposite sides ofsaid medial passageway-andextendingfrom the lower end to the-upper end of theunit, said channelszcommunic-ating with said medial passageway at intervals throughout the length of the latter, a second plate-like member covering said first-mentioned plate-like member and thechannels: thereof, there being provided a water outlet at: the upper portion ofthe first-mentioned plate-like member in communication with-the ad-jacentuppermost portionsof the medial'passageway and the communicating channels, a waterinlet atthe lowermost portion of saidfirst-mentioned plate-like member in communication with the adjacent lower end portions of said medial passageway and channels-ofthe member, said second-mentioned pIate-IiK -member being secured water-tight to said first-mentioned plate-like member, said firstmentionedplate-li-kememberbeing provided with a multiplicity of cavities on its outer surface with central relatively small apertures extending centrally through circular islands on the inner surface thereof and located at the respective communicating intervals of the channels with the medial passageway, and attaching means applied through the central openings of said cavities of the first-mentioned plate-like member and secured to the adjoining portions of the secondmentioned plate-like member to provide a multiplicity of spot attachments of the second-mentionedplate-like member to the first-mentioned plate-like member and affording a material strengthening and reinforcing attachment between the first and second-mentioned plate-like members.

ERNEST E ZIDECK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 506,608 Seitz Oct. 10,- 1893 842,788 Huntoon Jan. 29, 1907 966,070 Bailey Aug; 2, 1910 1,473,018 Dan-ner Nov. 6, 1923 1,751,317 Gail Mar. 18,- 1930 1,889,238 Clark Nov. 29, 1932 2,039,593: Hubbuch etlal May 5, 1936 2,064,141 Askin Dec. 15,- 1936 2,065,653 Carruthers Dec. 29 1936 2,156,544 Raskin May 2, 1939 2,202,756 Cline May-28, 1940 2,271,437 Lewis Jan. 275-1942 2,277,311 Freeman Mar. 24, 1942 2,311,579. Scott Feb. 16, 1943 2,358,476 Routh et al Sept. 19, 1944 

